Hon. Cliff Stearns
Thank you Mr. Chairman. I appreciate your holding this hearing to examine the management of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) pharmacy program.
The development of prescription medications that relieve suffering, prevent, cure, and help manage illnesses has revolutionized modern medicine and is improving the quality of life for many of our ill, injured and elderly veterans.
Last year, VA filled over 125 million prescriptions for veteran patients and expects that amount to double in 2010 to more than 254 million prescriptions.
In 1997, with the increased use of pharmaceuticals and concerns over rising drug costs and geographic variability, VA was prompted to establish a single National Formulary to help manage costs and improve consistency across the VA health care system. The National Formulary provides VA with leverage to purchase in bulk and increase the cost-effectiveness of VA’s pharmacy program.
A formulary system has the potential to also help educate physicians and patients about drugs, ensure the use of quality drug products and promote evidence-based management of disease.
However, it can also generate serious concerns about quality of care because formularies restrict the different classes of drugs available. For instance, a drug on the list may not be effective for 100% of the patients or it could be unexpectedly discontinued. Additionally there is a lengthy process for the inclusion of a new or breakthrough drug, and there are questions about the fairness and responsiveness for the approval of the use of a non-formulary drug to meet the specific needs of a veteran patient.
VA’s proper management of the formulary system is vital to ensuring our veterans receive the highest quality of care and access to the most up-to-date medications they deserve.
Today’s hearing will explore these important issues, and I would like to thank all of our witnesses today for their testimony and I look forward to the hearing.
Thank you Mr. Chairman. I yield back the balance of my time.